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#132 Arrival in Kosovo

Byatangajwe: 01.06.2022

May 22-23, 2022: Prizren, Prevallë


F. At most border crossings, there are border controls both in the country you are leaving and in the country you are entering. Not so at the small border crossing in the north of Albania to Kosovo (Morina). Here, there were only border guards on the Kosovo side who checked documents and IDs. We were not allowed to enter because we did not have insurance for our car. Although I thought that our insurance covers all of Europe, including Turkey and Ukraine, there was an asterisk in the fine print stating that regions with unresolved political status are not covered. Therefore, Kosovo was excluded. Well, like at many borders, you can buy car insurance on site for a certain period of time. With a car insured for 14 days, we continued to Prizren.

Landscape on the way to Prizren.

Here we experienced a completely crowded city center. It was good weather and Sunday. Apparently, a good reason for many people to spend an afternoon in Prizren. In addition to a small old town through which a wide river flows, there is an old castle on the mountain in Prizren. From this castle, you have a wonderful view over Prizren and the surrounding region.

Old town of Prizren
Old town of Prizren
City center of Prizren: new and old buildings
City center of Prizren: new and old buildings
Horse-drawn carriage for tourists in the old town of Prizren
Horse-drawn carriage for tourists in the old town of Prizren
River in Prizren
River in Prizren
Castle of Prizren, high above the city
Castle of Prizren, high above the city
View of Prizren from the castle: There are 40 mosques in Prizren, how many do you see in the picture?
View of Prizren from the castle: There are 40 mosques in Prizren, how many do you see in the picture?
Main mosque and river
Main mosque and river
The castle is a popular excursion destination in Prizren.
The castle is a popular excursion destination in Prizren.

In the evening, we drove further east into the mountains, as there were supposed to be some nice places where we could park the van. Free camping is not allowed in Kosovo, but it is also not prohibited. We were somewhat unsure about the customs here and how the local authorities would react. However, our discomfort quickly dissipated when we met a local resident at the spot we had chosen, who had set up his camp including a caravan, quad bike, washing facility, and fire pit. He told us that he would stay at this place for a total of three weeks and that there are no campsites in Kosovo.

A village on the way from Prizren to Prevallë.
A village on the way from Prizren to Prevallë.
On the way to the mountains.
On the way to the mountains.
View from our parking spot.
View from our parking spot.
In the evening, a flock of sheep returned to the village over the parking lot.
In the evening, a flock of sheep returned to the village over the parking lot.
The shepherd walked far behind the herd with the two youngest lambs and their mother and had to keep driving them forward until he carried them the last bit.
The shepherd walked far behind the herd with the two youngest lambs and their mother and had to keep driving them forward until he carried them the last bit.

Without knowing it, we ended up in a well-known spa town in Kosovo. The next day, several large tour buses arrived and many people got off, who then often sat down on the meadow. According to the local honey vendors, people come to Prevallë because the air quality here is supposed to be particularly good. We also stayed for another day to breathe clean air and/or to spend the rainy day here.

Hiking up the mountain during a break in the rain, in the background you can see our tiny van.
Hiking up the mountain during a break in the rain, in the background you can see our tiny van.

Day 220 - Total tour 16,388 km


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